This is all about me, Winona Belle Kimble. I was born on December 13, 1920. My mother was Eva Steele and my father was Harry Ray Gildea. I also had three brothers, William (Bill), Harry and Dale. We lived on the

second story of the carriage house on the Pratt Estate on what was called Pratt Road between Westnedge and Burdick. Dad was the chauffer for Mrs. Pratt. I don’t remember much (actually nothing) about the fi rst fi ve years there with my family. I don’t know which came fi rst, the day the Pratt’s dog bit my ear almost entirely off or the day I saved Harry’s life by holding onto his hat when he fell through the ice. Finally, Bill came to help.

About the time I went into the second grade Dad quit or lost his job and we moved in with Grandpa and Grandma Gildea on their farm on Angling Road. We went to a one-room school on the comer of Milham and Angling. Grandpa sold that farm and moved into a house in the Washington Square area. We moved in with them for a short time until Mom and Dad rented a house on Alcott Boulevard. We then went to the Washington School. I don’t remember how long we lived there but we never stayed long anywhere because my folks never owned their own place. The next move was to Oshtemo to a nice

house on what is now Chime St. The school was a two-story building with four classrooms. The kids there were great too. Kids like Dick Tanner, Glen Husted, Florence Drake

(Bentley), Mary Hope (who became one of my very best friends), and Bunk and Gordy White. Soon we were on the move again. Grandpa had bought a farm northwest of Oshtemo on Maltlby. He must have made money selling his farms because he never worked at a job. This would be my last move for several years.

Now I’m in high school at State High where I’m known as Harry’s sister. I hated the school

and most of the kids were from rich families. The girls wore a different dress every day of the week while I had maybe two different outfi ts a year. I really loved studying Latin, math,

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English, and participating in the glee club too. Can you imagine me on that stage singing to a big audience? I was terrifi ed and probably terrible since as you know, I never pursued a career in singing or acting. I did graduate with good grades and that concluded my formal education.

It was now June of 1938 and after school I worked as a waitress at the Colonial Inn which was in Oshtemo at the comer of Old US 12 and Parkview. Dad talked to a friend and got me a job at Michigan Bell Telephone Company. I was a switchboard operator and got to listen in on my neighbors (of course I never did). It was a great job and I liked it a lot.

While at the telephone company I stayed part of the time with my brother Harry and his wife Betty since most of the time I worked until 10:00 and rode the bus to their house on Lay Blvd. About this time my cousin

Lucille Beck introduced me to Julian VanAuken. Julian drove a motorcycle and some nights he would meet me after work and walk with me to the bus stop and then ride his cycle out to Harry’s. He worked for his Uncle Louie on the Clearstream Farm on the comer of Milham and 12th Street. He had to get up really early to milk cows and help kill and dress chickens which he delivered in Kalamazoo (can you imagine doing that now)? Finally, he got a car so he would take me home at night.

In May of 1941 Julian and I were married in a simple ceremony at the pastor’s house in Oshtemo with only my dad and mom with us. Julian had rented an apartment in Oakwood where we spent our wedding night. We didn’t live there very long and then moved to a house owned by Clearstream on the corner across from the farm. Mom helped me hang curtains and make the house a nice place. I was a very happy bride. The next few months were the happiest of my life. Who would have dreamed that by September of that year my world would fall apart? That was when my wonderful mother died of colon cancer after one week in the hospital. I quit my job at the phone company and Julian and I moved in with grandpa, dad and Dale.

That fall Julian decided it was time to have a baby. I thought I had enough to do but who could resist that guy? I think he wanted something of his own in that house where nothing was his. On July 1, 1942 Julia Ann (Judy) came to brighten our lives - what a wonderful gift. Uncle Burr’s new wife Ruth came to

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be with me when Judy and I came home from the hospital. She knew as much about taking care of a new baby as I did. It was a wonder Judy made it through the fi rst month.

Julian, Judy and I rented a cottage from Aunt Myrtle on Crooked Lake. We lived there until the late spring and then bought a

cottage on the east side of the lake. Nothing down and $25.00 a month so you know it was no palace. It had no running water and a pot bellied stove.

In 1944 WWII was over but Julian was drafted for the Occupational Army and sent to Japan for 2 years. He came home in the fall of 1946 and did some remodeling of the house. He built a bedroom on the back, and put in a furnace and bathroom. He went to work for Shepherd Fuel delivering fuel oil. It was great to have him home. By December of 1947 I was pregnant again. On Jan 4, 1948 our Eva Bell was born (another wonderful gift) named after my Mom and I.

Over the years we all spent a lot of time swimming, skiing and boating. We had a speed boat that at this time was one of the best on the lake. Julian and the girls loved it. In the winter of 1955 to 1956, Julian was driving a semi hauling fuel oil from up north to Kalamazoo. Our lives were torn apart again. On March 12th late at night I got a call from Jack McLeer, another truck driver, about an accident on the highway

between Wayland and Kalamazoo. Since I hadn’t heard anything he said Julian probably had had a fl at tire. When my two brothers came down the walk in the middle of the night, I knew it wasn’t just because of a fl at tire. Julian’s truck had jack -knifed on a hill and he was killed instantly, we were devastated. Now we had to start living our lives over again. We did what we needed to do and we survived. Our strength was probably because of our wonderful neighbors and friends, especially Don and Joyce Davis and their two girls who were later joined by another sister and brother. Their daughter Bonnie was staying over on that fateful night in March and ran home to tell her parents of the tragedy.

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I used Julian’s life insurance to have the house remodeled into a 2 story with bedrooms, a full bath, and a small room I used as a sewing room. We loved this house with the picture window looking out on the lake.

In the late 1950’s I met Phillip Kimble whose family was living in the Davis’s house next door. He had a son named Andy and daughter named Kathy. I can’t say that we really dated “per se” but we spent our time with our kids at parks or at Lake Michigan. On August 26, 1960 we were married in a very nice service in the Mattawan Church.

Life went along in the usual way with a few ups and downs. Phil had a few jobs..drove a fuel oil truck ,worked at a gas station in Schoolcraft and then worked at Kalamazoo Manufacturing Company until they sold out. During that time, I went into politics like my Dad. I was treasurer for the township for two or three terms. I also worked for the First National Bank at the corners until they closed. Then I worked for John Schlukebir for a couple of years and later went back to the township as secretary until December of 2003.

The kids gave me a wonderful party on my 80th birthday with many friends and family. About this time Phil started to show signs of dementia. He

was later taken to the hospital with congestive heart failure where the doctors gave him six months to live. His dementia later developed

into Alzheimer’s disease and by October of 2005, I could no longer take of him by myself. I had to put him in the Lakeview Extended Care in Lawton. This was the hardest thing I ever had to do. On Dec 6, 2005 he passed away not knowing any of us.

Throughout all these years my kids grew up, got married and had kids and grandkids of their own. I spent as much time

with Judy as I could until she died on September 13, 2006. Now both my husband and my wonderful Judy were gone. I

guess I spent most of that winter sitting, not doing much of anything. Because of that my legs

grew very weak and it became diffi cult for me to go up and down the stairs. We

then decided it would be best for me to move. Eva and I found Spring

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Manor Senior Apartments and I moved in on July 31, 2007. I was very happy there and met some very nice women.

In 2008, I moved to Bickford Cottage.

Winona died December 11, 2009 at her residence at Bickford Cottage in Portage. She was born on December

13, 1920 in Kalamazoo the daughter of Harry and Eva (Steele) Gildea. She

graduated from University High in 1938. In 1941, she was united in marriage with

Julian VanAuken and they lived at Crooked Lake, Texas Township. Julian died in 1956. On August 26th of 1960, she was united in marriage with Phil Kimble. Winona worked in various positions at Texas Township, including that of Treasurer. She was preceded in death by her 2 husbands, Julian and Phil; one daughter, Judy Stevens; 3 brothers: Harry, Bill and Dale. She is survived by 3 children: Eva (Don) Simonds, Andy (Jan) Kimble, and

Kathy (Bill) Multhaupt; 1 son-in-law, Jim Stevens; 14 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; special friends: Joyce Neubauer and Lorraine Whitmore; and many nieces and nephews. Friends will be received Monday from 10:00 AM-12:00 Noon at the Life Story Funeral Home, Betzler-Kalamazoo; 6080 Stadium Drive, 375-2900, where a service to honor her life will be held at 12:00 Noon. Interment Hope Cemetery, Texas Township. Following the burial, food and fellowship will be shared at the Life Story Center. Please visit Winona’s personal web page at www.lifestorynet.com where you archive a favorite memory or photo, and sign her guestbook before coming to the funeral home. In lieu of fl owers, memorials may be made to ALS Association or Children’s Hospital of Michigan, Detroit. The family would like to express a heartfelt thank you to the staff and fellow residents at Bickford Cottage for the compassionate care that Winona received.